December 2012 Geocacher Profile

The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought Jim & Sandy Fryar aka Likestocanoe should be the next cachers to be in the spotlight.

What is your geocaching name? likestocanoe

How did you choose your handle?
Canoeing - It was what we did with our free time before we discovered the fun that Geocaching offered. We have been told many times in recent years that our handle should be "likEDtocanoe".
How long have you been geocaching?
We began caching on May 12, 2007 with our first cache "Take A Break" by Cachemates. We found a total of five caches in the first year.

How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it?
I had bought likestocanoe1 a gps on the advice of our son, and whenever we were heading somewhere I would load a few caches in (by hand at that point). I finally got him to stop and look for one on our way back from Glenwood. It was "Take a Break" and was placed by Cachemates. It was tricky and ALOT of fun to find. If it had been an easier cache, I am not sure if it would have tweaked our interest as much; but it was challenging and got out attention. We have recently placed an exact copy of the original cache at this location so hopefully others can enjoy it.

Who usually goes with you when you go caching?
It is usually just Jim and I with Tanner (The Cocker Spaniel). We have been caching with other couples and in groups, but with our odd schedule we usually just head out alone.

How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up?
likestocanoe1 hates puzzle caches. I have gotten him to do a couple, but basically he is just not interested...... so, since this is a joint hobby we just don't do them.

What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in?
When we first started geocaching we did quite a bit of caching in and around Glenwood. Finding Cachemates caches were such fun and so rewarding. Jerry could come up with some of the most creative caches we have found to date. We have enjoyed caching in the Camden, Smackover, and El Dorado area of Arkansas, as well as East Texas. We enjoyed where caches took us in Colorado even though I ended up injured on Burnt Mountain.

Do you do paperless caching?
Yes, we moved from an Etrex gps to a Colorado which allowed us to go paperless on our cache finds. We still keep notes on each cache so that we can do our best to post an individual log for each cache.

What kind of geocaching rig do you use?
We have never used anything but Garmin gps units. I (likestocanoe2) use a Colorado while likestocanoe1 has moved to the touch screen of a Oregon. I have recently gotten an i-Phone, and have used it to locate four caches, but am not fond of the program yet.

Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching?
Geocaching is a dovetail sport or hobby. It can be done along with any other activity that you enjoy. If you love to hike, just take a gps loaded with area caches along and you can enjoy both at the same time. If you fish, or hunt, run, or enjoy sightseeing you can easily combine that activity with geocaching.

Geocaching is an outstanding activity to do with the family. We often take our grandkids along while caching and they have a wonderful time with Grandpa and Grandma just caching and getting to know each other better.

Geocaching will take you to places you would never know existed. The top of the highest waterfall in the Ouachita Mountains is one of our favorite cache finds. If not for the cache we would have missed out on this special spot. Another favorite is in Pine Ridge. A series of three waterfalls down what would appear to be a driveway was such a treat thanks to a local who shared it with his fellow geocachers.

The people you will meet geocaching are some of the best folks anywhere. You just can't beat the friends you will make and the special times you will have with them.
Where are you originally from?
likestocanoe1 or Jim was raised in the Royal area just west of Hot Springs. He is a graduate of Lake Hamilton High School. He relocated to Arkadelphia while working for Coleman Dairy and brought me back to Royal with him. Before moving back, we purchased 14 acres in the Ragweed Valley Community or Crystal Springs and have lived here for 34 years.

In what states have you geocached?
Arkansas was our only state for quiet awhile, but we finally ventured into Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma while visiting our kids in Northwest Arkansas. We have cached a number of times in Texas both alone and with friends. Arkfiremedic has taken us into Louisiana a number of times as well as a trip farther South to a State Park in Louisiana. We have cached both sides of the Mississippi River which added Mississippi and Tennessee to our portfolio. After semi-retirement we made a trip allowing us to add Alabama and Georgia. We have a cache placement on Dauphin Island in Alabama and hope to return there soon. We were able to make a jaunt through Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico on another vacation trip. We have had a great time finding some of the most wonderful places in these states thanks to geocaching.

What was your first event ever attended?
On March 22, 2008 we attended our first event, 1st Annual Meet and Greet / Bug Swap In Glenwood sponsored by dentful in Glenwood, Arkansas. We had a ball and quickly realized what wonderful folks geocachers are.

How many caches have you found?
We are currently at 6749, but our profile will show 6746.... I have three waiting to be logged. {)

Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest?
I, likestocanoe2, love to place regular size cache containers such as ammo cans and Lock n Locks, but they seem to disappear so easily so we have turned to likestocanoe1's favorite container, The Dew Drop. These are containers constructed by L2C1.

What was the most famous cache that you have found?
On our trip up to Colorado we drove a great distance out of the way so that we could find Mingo. Mingo is the oldest existing cache in the world and we were determined to add our "Cache Henry" to the log sheet. Just took the L O N G scenic route to Colorado, but it was worth it!

Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries?
We use both, actually. I try and keep batteries recharged and ready, but we carry disposable batteries with us in case we need them.

Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby?Can you really enjoy one more than the other? We have hidden over 500 caches and have tried to keep as many as possible up and active. We love to hide caches - easy caches, hard caches, funny caches, ect.. We love to read the logs that people write when they find our caches.

But, we enjoy finding other folks hides wherever we go, also. There is no bad cache and we enjoy them all!
Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide?
Our goal is to provide enjoyment. Some cachers love a difficult and hard to find cache and we have tried to place that type to give them a thrill. Other of our caches will take you to places we find beautiful and scenic, but some are just for the numbers. We have tried to place some of nearly every type of cache in hopes that each of our fellow cachers will find something to enjoy. We have found that our mindset on any day of caching determines what we enjoy. We have had days where we only found one cache and it took us all day. There have been those days where we have found over one hundred caches. Different day.... different mindset.... different fun! We figure others feel the same.

What is you favorite type of cache hide?For sure it would be a tricky hide or a custom made hide. Those are the ones we enjoy the most.

Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in?
We have a few that we have really enjoyed placing and love to read the logs on. Our Tin Man Cache is a favorite and one that I feel likestocanoe1 did a wonderful job on. The kids seem to really enjoy that one. likestocanoe1 has also built a number of custom cache containers such as Biscuits and Gravy, Thread, and Big Brother. Sadly, we have recently lost one of our favorites, Big Dog, to theft. Big Dog was a cache on which we got a number of positive comments. I enjoy our Books, Books, and More Books cache. It has been stolen once, but I replaced it with a custom container likestocanoe1 built for me. We recently placed a power trail near Lake Greeson and there is a few caches there that we really enjoyed placing.

What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh?

We feel that a good comparison would be 3 - 5 percent of your finds. We only hope that we can stay on top of that.

How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby?
Our son called one day after finding a geocache in Fayetteville with a friend. He had bushwhacked up on a mountain in Fayetteville and upon his return to the dorm called and said, "Hey, Mom, I think I have found something you and Dad would enjoy"...... The beginning of an addiction.

What's your favorite geocache?
Any one that is not already on our "found" list........

If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching?
We would love to explore the US finding geocaches wherever the truck goes. Neither of us really has a need to visit foreign countries. Instead we believe that there is so much beauty and history here in the United States, we have no need to travel across her borders.

Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group?Since our schedule is normally crazy we usually geocache alone and when we can sneak out for a while.

How many First to Finds do you have?
We have well over 200 FTFs, but I have not kept our list up to date.

Are you a First to Find person who is always set on go and if so, how many miles out do you have your notifications set?
We were at one time FTF Hounds that were set on "Go" at all times. Our first FTF was at 10 pm one night under a huge tree, in a cemetery, during a rain STORM. We were so excited. We found twenty-five in one day in Camden with half of them being found in a downpour, but we have calmed down somewhat in our FTF caching. We still love to find an FTF and recently got to claim one in a very beautiful place around Hot Springs, but we are not ready, set, go like we once were.

I have our notifications set on fifty miles because I am just curious and want to know what is going on.

Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching?We spend quite a bit of time with our family. We have two children and six grandchildren that we love to be with. likestocanoe1 is an avid deer hunter. I am a fair weather hunter, meaning if it is not too cold I will go. We love to ride ATVs and spend some of our time on beautiful Lake Ouachita. For indoor times we love to read and watch Westerns. If and when likestocanoe1 fully retires we hope to travel more, which will mean more geocaching.